Battery temperature adjusting device for vehicle, vehicle, and method of adjusting battery temperature for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A battery temperature adjusting device for a vehicle on which a battery is mounted, the battery being a lithium ion battery disposed near a powertrain unit inside an engine bay, is provided. The device includes a first air duct provided to an intake passage configured to lead intake air to a combustion chamber of an engine, a second air duct provided to the intake passage and provided with an intake opening that opens toward a space between the powertrain unit and the battery, an intake-air-amount adjusting part, and a controller configured to acquire an ambient temperature of the powertrain unit. The controller increases a ratio of the second intake air amount relative to the sum of the first intake air amount and the second intake air amount, when the ambient temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature, compared with when the ambient temperature is below the first threshold temperature.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a battery temperature adjusting devicefor a vehicle, a vehicle provided with the battery temperature adjustingdevice, and a method of adjusting a battery temperature of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

A small-sized battery is mounted inside an engine bay, mainly for thepurpose of supplying power to a starter motor when starting an engine,and supplying power when lighting inside a cabin and audiovisualapparatuses are used while the engine is stopped.

For example, JP1993-085197A discloses a technology for cooling a batteryusing a portion of intake air extracted from an intake pipe of anengine.

Meanwhile, although a lead storage battery is used as the small-sizedbattery described above, a lead storage battery may be replaced with alithium ion battery in consideration of environmental problems, such asthe lead regulations in Europe.

Lithium ion batteries are narrow in the optimum range of thetemperatures of the battery and its periphery, as compared with leadstorage batteries, and demonstrate the most excellentcharge-and-discharge characteristics in a specific temperature range(e.g., about 25° C. to 40° C.). If the temperature of a lithium ionbattery and its periphery deviates from this temperature range,degradation of the lithium ion battery progresses, and therefore, thebattery life is shortened.

Inside the engine bay, the ambient temperature of a powertrain unitincluding an engine and a transmission may rise, especially during ahigh-load operation, due to exhaust heat from the powertrain unit. Ifthe battery is disposed near the powertrain unit, the temperatures ofthe battery and its periphery may rise greatly, which leads to rapiddegradation of the battery.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a battery temperatureadjusting device for a vehicle, the vehicle provided with the batterytemperature adjusting device, and a method of adjusting a batterytemperature for the vehicle, which can maintain temperature of thebattery mounted in an engine bay, and its periphery within a suitabletemperature range.

In order to solve the problem, the present disclosure takes heat from apowertrain unit into an intake passage of an engine to suppress the heatfrom reaching the area around the battery, when the ambient temperatureof the powertrain unit increases.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery temperatureadjusting device for a vehicle on which a battery is mounted, isprovided. The battery is a lithium ion battery disposed near apowertrain unit inside an engine bay. The device includes a first airduct provided to an intake passage configured to lead intake air to acombustion chamber of an engine, a second air duct provided to theintake passage and provided with an intake opening that opens toward aspace between the powertrain unit and the battery, an intake-air-amountadjusting part configured to adjust a first intake air amount introducedfrom the first air duct and a second intake air amount introduced fromthe second air duct, and a controller configured to acquire an ambienttemperature of the powertrain unit and control operation of theintake-air-amount adjusting part based on the ambient temperature. Thecontroller increases a ratio of the second intake air amount relative tothe sum of the first intake air amount and the second intake air amount,when the controller determines that the ambient temperature exceeds afirst threshold temperature, compared with when the controllerdetermines that the ambient temperature is below the first thresholdtemperature.

For example, when the vehicle is traveling, inside the engine bay, theambient temperature of the powertrain unit becomes high due to exhaustheat from the powertrain unit including the engine, a transmission, etc.If the battery is disposed near the powertrain unit, the air increasedin temperature due to the exhaust heat from the powertrain unit (i.e.,heat) reaches the periphery of the battery, and the temperatures of thebattery and its periphery may rise greatly, which leads to degradationof the battery. According to this configuration, the second air ductprovided to the intake system is provided with the intake opening thatopens toward the space between the powertrain unit and the battery.Thus, before the heat from the powertrain unit reaches the periphery ofthe battery, the heat is taken in into the intake passage through theintake opening and the second air duct, and thus removed. Accordingly,the temperature of the periphery of the battery can be suppressed frombecoming high, the temperature of the battery can be maintained at thetemperature suitable for excellent charge-and-discharge characteristicsof the battery, and as a result, a longer battery life can be secured.Moreover, in this configuration, since the intake system of the engineis used as the device for removing the heat, it is not necessary toadditionally provide a dedicated pump, etc. inside the engine bay,contributing to the downsizing of the engine bay, and as a result, ofthe vehicle. Note that the first threshold temperature is preferably 20°C. or higher and 50° C. or lower, from the viewpoint of suitablyadjusting the temperatures of the battery and its periphery.

The battery may be disposed by the side of an upper part of thepowertrain unit. The ambient temperature may be an ambient temperatureof a lower part of the powertrain unit.

Into the engine bay, “traveling wind” (air) enters through a frontgrille, in general. The periphery of the upper part of the powertrainunit can be cooled by the traveling wind to some extent. On the otherhand, at the periphery of the lower part of the powertrain unit, thecooling by the traveling wind may be insufficient. Then, heat from thelower part of the powertrain unit goes upward, and this heat mayincrease the temperatures of the battery and its periphery disposed theside of the upper part of the powertrain unit. According to thisconfiguration, since the heat coming up from the lower part of thepowertrain unit is removed before the heat reaches the periphery of thebattery, the temperatures of the battery and its periphery caneffectively be suppressed from becoming high.

The battery may be disposed above a transmission of the powertrain unit,and the intake opening may open toward a space between the transmissionand the battery.

According to this configuration, since the heat came up from thetransmission of the powertrain unit is removed before it reaches theperiphery of the battery disposed above the transmission, thetemperatures of the battery and its periphery can effectively besuppressed from becoming high.

The battery temperature adjusting device may further include a vehiclespeed sensor connected to the controller and configured to detect atraveling speed of the vehicle, and a temperature sensor connected tothe controller and configured to detect a water temperature and/or anoil temperature of the engine. The controller may estimate the ambienttemperature based on the traveling speed and the water temperatureand/or the oil temperature.

According to this configuration, since the estimation is based on thetraveling speed and the water temperature and/or the oil temperature,the ambient temperature accurately reflecting the traveling state of thevehicle can be estimated, and the temperatures of the battery and itsperiphery can be controlled accurately. Moreover, the equipment alreadymounted on the vehicle can be used as the vehicle speed sensor and thetemperature sensor so as to avoid the complicated configuration of thedevice and the cost increase.

The battery temperature adjusting device may further include an ambienttemperature sensor connected to the controller and configured to detectthe ambient temperature. The controller may control operation of theintake-air-amount adjusting part based on the ambient temperaturedetected by the ambient temperature sensor.

According to this configuration, by directly detecting the ambienttemperature, the temperatures of the battery and its periphery can becontrolled accurately.

The controller may increase an increasing rate of the ratio of thesecond intake air amount as the ambient temperature increases, whenincreasing the ratio of the second intake air amount.

According to this configuration, by increasing the increasing rate ofthe ratio of the second intake air amount as the ambient temperatureincreases, more heat is taken in from the second air duct so that theincrease in the temperatures of the battery and its periphery caneffectively be suppressed.

The battery temperature adjusting device may further include a vehiclespeed sensor connected to the controller and configured to detect thetraveling speed of the vehicle. The controller may increase anincreasing rate of the ratio of the second intake air amount as thetraveling speed decreases, when increasing the ratio of the secondintake air amount.

In a case where the traveling speed is relatively high, a part of heatfrom the powertrain unit may be removed before reaching the battery bythe traveling wind which entered into the engine bay. However, when thevehicle speed is slow, the effect of the traveling wind may be lowered.According to this configuration, by increasing the increasing rate ofthe ratio of the second intake air amount as the traveling speeddecreases, the increase in the temperatures of the battery and itsperiphery can be suppressed.

The battery temperature adjusting device may further include an intakeair cooling device disposed downstream of the second air duct in theintake passage and configured to cool intake air inside the intakepassage. The controller may increase a degree of cooling of the intakeair by the intake air cooling device, when increasing the ratio of thesecond intake air amount.

When the heat from the powertrain unit is led to the combustion chamberas it is as the intake air, there is a possibility that problems, suchas an occurrence of knock and a drop in a charging efficiency may takeplace. According to this configuration, the intake air can be cooled bythe intake air cooling device before being led to the combustion chamberto suppress the occurrence of knock and the drop in the chargingefficiency.

The intake air cooling device may be a water-cooled intercooler built inthe intake passage.

According to this configuration, since the water-cooled intercooleralready mounted on the vehicle can be used as the intake air coolingdevice, the number of components inside the engine bay can be reducedand the intake air can efficiently be cooled.

The intake air cooling device may be a part of a refrigerant circuit ofan air conditioning system mounted on the vehicle.

According to this configuration, since the air conditioning systemalready mounted on the vehicle can be used as the intake air coolingdevice, the number of components inside the engine bay can be reducedand the intake air can efficiently be cooled.

A minimum passage cross-sectional area of the first air duct may belarger than a minimum passage cross-sectional area of the second airduct. The intake-air-amount adjusting part may be an intake-air-amountadjusting valve provided to the first air duct side.

In this configuration, since the minimum passage cross-sectional area ofthe first air duct is larger than the minimum passage cross-sectionalarea of the second air duct, the first air duct is smaller in the intakedrag or resistance than the second air duct. Therefore, when theintake-air-amount adjusting valve provided to the first air duct side isfully opened to increase the first intake air amount, the ratio of thesecond intake air amount relative to the sum of the first and secondintake air amounts can indirectly be reduced. On the other hand, whenthe opening of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve is adjusted toreduce the first intake air amount, the ratio of the second intake airamount relative to the sum can indirectly be increased. Thus, only byadjusting the opening of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve providedon the first air duct side to adjust the first intake air amount, theratio of the second intake air amount relative to the sum can beadjusted, and thus, the configuration of the device can be simplified.

The intake-air-amount adjusting part may include a first valve providedto the first air duct side and configured to adjust the first intake airamount, and a second valve provided to the second air duct side andconfigured to adjust the second intake air amount.

According to this configuration, the first intake air amount and thesecond intake air amount can be adjusted independently by the firstvalve and the second valve, and therefore, the ratio of the intake airamount can be controlled more accurately.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery temperatureadjusting device for a vehicle on which a battery is mounted, isprovided. The battery is a lithium ion battery disposed near apowertrain unit inside an engine bay. The device includes a first airduct provided to an intake passage configured to lead intake air to acombustion chamber of an engine, a second air duct provided to theintake passage and provided with an intake opening that opens toward aspace between the powertrain unit and the battery, an intake-air-amountadjusting part configured to adjust a first intake air amount introducedfrom the first air duct and a second intake air amount introduced fromthe second air duct, and a controller configured to acquire an ambienttemperature of the powertrain unit and control operation of theintake-air-amount adjusting part based on the ambient temperature. Thecontroller includes an ambient temperature acquiring module, adetermining module, memory, a calculating module, and a controllingmodule. The ambient temperature acquiring module acquires the ambienttemperature. The determining module determines whether the ambienttemperature exceeds a first threshold temperature. The memory stores acorrelation between the ambient temperature and a ratio of the secondintake air amount relative to the sum of the first intake air amount andthe second intake air amount. The correlation is configured so that theratio of the second intake air amount relative to the sum is increasedwhen the ambient temperature exceeds the first threshold temperature,compared to when the ambient temperature is below the first thresholdtemperature. The calculating module calculates an increasing rate of theratio of the second intake air amount based on the ambient temperatureand the correlation, when it is determined that the ambient temperatureexceeds the first threshold temperature. The controlling module controlsoperation of the intake-air-amount adjusting part based on thecalculated increasing rate of the ratio of the second intake air amount.

According to this configuration, before the heat from the powertrainunit reaches the periphery of the battery, the heat is taken in into theintake passage through the intake opening and the second air duct, andthus removed. Accordingly, the temperature of the periphery of thebattery can be suppressed from becoming high, and the temperatures ofthe battery can be maintained at the temperature suitable for excellentcharge-and-discharge characteristics of the battery, and as a result, alonger battery life can be secured. Moreover, in this configuration,since the intake system of the engine is used as the device for removingthe heat, it is not necessary to additionally provide a dedicated pumpetc. inside the engine bay, and it can contribute to the downsizing ofthe engine bay, as a result, of the vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle providedwith any one of the battery temperature adjusting devices describedabove is provided.

According to this configuration, by having the battery temperatureadjusting device, the temperatures of the battery and its periphery canbe maintained at the temperature suitable for charge-and-dischargecharacteristics of the battery, and as a result, a longer battery lifecan be secured.

When the ambient temperature is determined to be below the firstthreshold temperature, the controller may set the second intake airamount to a given value. When the ambient temperature is below the firstthreshold temperature, since it is considered that the temperatures ofthe battery and its periphery are within the suitable range, the secondintake air amount is set to the given value, and maintaining the currenttemperatures is effective. Note that the given value is desirably 10% orless, and more preferably, 0%.

The first air duct may include, at an upstream end thereof, anadditional intake opening which opens forward inside the engine bay.According to this configuration, external air introduced into the enginebay through a front grille etc. from the forward of the vehicle, can betaken in into the intake passage efficiently. Moreover, the intake airfrom the first air duct and the intake air from the second air duct aremixed to suppress the excessive increase in the temperature of theintake air.

The vehicle may be provided with an adiabatic wall disposed between theupper part of the powertrain unit and the battery. According to thisconfiguration, the excessive increase in the temperatures of the batteryand its periphery can be suppressed.

The intake passage may be provided with an air cleaner, and thedownstream side of the first air duct and the downstream side of thesecond air duct may communicate with the air cleaner. According to thisconfiguration, foreign materials, such as dust, contained in intake airfrom the first and second air ducts can be removed.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of adjustinga battery temperature of a vehicle on which a battery is mounted, isprovided. The battery is a lithium ion battery disposed near apowertrain unit in an engine bay. The vehicle includes a first air ductprovided to an intake passage configured to lead intake air to acombustion chamber of an engine, a second air duct provided to theintake passage and provided with an intake opening that opens toward aspace between the powertrain unit and the battery, and anintake-air-amount adjusting part configured to adjust a first intake airamount introduced from the first air duct and a second intake air amountintroduced from the second air duct. The method includes acquiring anambient temperature of the powertrain unit by one of an estimation and adetection, determining whether the ambient temperature exceeds a firstthreshold temperature, and increasing a ratio of the second intake airamount relative to the sum of the first intake air amount and the secondintake air amount, when the ambient temperature is determined to exceedthe first threshold temperature, compared with when the ambienttemperature is determined to be below the first threshold temperature,by controlling operation of the intake-air-amount adjusting part.

According to this configuration, before the heat from the powertrainunit reaches the periphery of the battery, the heat is taken in into theintake passage through the intake opening and the second air duct, andthus removed. Accordingly, the temperatures of the battery and itsperiphery can be suppressed from becoming high, and the temperature ofthe battery can be maintained at the temperature suitable for excellentcharge-and-discharge characteristics of the battery, and as a result, alonger battery life can be secured. Moreover, in this configuration,since the intake system of the engine is used as the device for removingthe heat, it is not necessary to additionally provide a dedicated pump,etc. inside the engine bay, and it can contribute to the downsizing ofthe engine bay, as a result, of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a left side view illustrating the inside of an engine bay of avehicle according to Embodiment 1, where illustration of a transmissionis omitted.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the inside of the engine bay of thevehicle of FIG. 1, seen from the front.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the engine bayof FIG. 2, seen from the front and the left, where illustration ofintake system components is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating near an air cleaner of FIG. 2, seen fromthe rear.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a configuration of a battery temperatureadjusting device according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of adjusting a batterytemperature according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating one example of the method of adjustingthe battery temperature.

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a batterytemperature adjusting device according to Embodiment 2.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a batterytemperature adjusting device according to Embodiment 3.

FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a batterytemperature adjusting device according to Embodiment 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Thefollowing description of desirable embodiments is merely illustration,and it is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applicationobject, and its usage.

Embodiment 1 Vehicle

FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the inside of an engine bay 100 of a vehicle 1according to one embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the engine bay100 is provided as a concave part which opens upwardly in a front partof the vehicle 1, and accommodates a powertrain unit 200 and itsperipheral apparatuses. The upper opening of the engine bay 100 iscovered with an engine hood 3. Since the hood 3 can be opened and closedfreely, the inside of the engine bay 100 can be checked from outside ofthe vehicle by opening the hood 3, if needed.

Note that hereinafter, “the inside of the engine bay 100” is alsoreferred to as “inside the engine bay 100,” and it is a space definedwhen the hood 3 is closed and the upper opening of the engine bay 100 iscovered. Hereinafter, a direction of the vehicle 1 moving forward andrearward (reverse) is referred to as a “front-and-rear direction,” wherethe forward side is referred to as a “front side,” and the reverse sideis referred to as a “rear side.” Moreover, a vehicle width direction isreferred to as a “left-and-right direction.” Note that “right side” and“left side” are used when the vehicle is seen from the rear. Moreover,an up-and-down direction of the vehicle 1 is referred to as an“up-and-down direction.” Moreover, when referring to an intake passage,upstream and downstream in an intake-air flow direction may be referredto as an “upstream” and a “downstream,” respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the powertrain unit 200 includes an engine201, an oil pan 204, and a transmission 205. The engine 201 includes acylinder block 202 and a cylinder head 203 placed on the cylinder block202. The oil pan 204 is fixed to a lower surface of the cylinder block202. The transmission 205 is disposed adjacent to the cylinder block 202and the oil pan 204.

Although not illustrated, a plurality of cylinders are formed inside thecylinder block 202. That is, the engine 201 is a multi-cylinder engine.A piston is slidably inserted into each cylinder. The piston is coupledto a crankshaft via a connecting rod. The piston, the cylinder, and thecylinder head 203 define a combustion chamber of the engine 201.

Note that hereinafter, “an upper part of the powertrain unit 200” isreferred to as the cylinder head 203. Moreover, “a lower part of thepowertrain unit 200” is referred to as the cylinder block 202, the oilpan 204, and the transmission 205.

The powertrain unit 200 includes a part of intake system components andexhaust system components of the engine 201. The intake systemcomponents are disposed forward of the engine 201, and the exhaustsystem components are disposed rearward of the engine 201. That is, theengine 201 is a front-intake and rear-exhaust type.

Intake Passage

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, an intake system of the engine 201 iscomprised of the intake system components, such as a first air duct 301,a second air duct 302, an air cleaner 303, an intake pipe 304, asupercharger, a water-cooled intercooler 700 (intake air coolingdevice), and an intake manifold including a surge tank. The intakemanifold is provided with a plurality of independent passagescorresponding to the cylinders, and these independent passages areconnected to a plurality of intake ports which extend to the combustionchambers inside the cylinder head 203. That is, these intake systemcomponents and the intake ports constitute an intake passage which leadsintake air to the combustion chambers.

Air inside the engine bay 100 is introduced into the air cleaner 303through the first air duct 301 and the second air duct 302. The aircleaner 303 is an instrument which removes foreign materials, such asdust, contained in intake air introduced into the combustion chambers.The intake air is introduced into the supercharger from the air cleaner303 through the intake pipe 304 provided with a throttle valve 306 (seeFIG. 6). The supercharger boosts the pressure of intake air introducedinto the combustion chambers. The supercharger is, for example, amechanical supercharger which is driven by the crankshaft of the engine201 through a belt. Note that the supercharger may be an electricsupercharger, or a turbocharger which is driven by exhaust-gas energy.The intake air which passed through the supercharger is cooled by thewater-cooled intercooler 700, and is then introduced into the combustionchamber of each cylinder through the surge tank. Note that the intakepipe 304 is also provided with a by-pass pipe which is connected to thesurge tank while bypassing the supercharger. The by-pass pipe isprovided with a by-pass valve which adjusts an opening area of the pipe.An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) pipe 17 (see FIG. 1) whichrecirculates a portion of exhaust gas to the combustion chambers as EGRgas is connected to a part of the by-pass pipe upstream of the by-passvalve. The EGR pipe 17 is provided with an EGR cooler 18 (see FIG. 1)which cools the EGR gas.

First and Second Air Ducts

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first air duct 301 includes a firstintake opening 301A (additional intake opening) provided at an upstreamend thereof. Note that in this embodiment, although the shape of thefirst intake opening 301A is a laterally elongated rectangular shape, itis not limited in particular and may be a circular, elliptical, orpolygonal shape. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first intake opening 301Aopens forward inside the engine bay 100. Moreover, the downstream sideof the first air duct 301 communicates with the air cleaner 303. Thefirst air duct 301 is comprised of an upper part 301B extendingsubstantially horizontally to the rear from the first intake opening301A, an intermediate part 301C extending downwardly continuously fromthe upper part 301B, and a lower part 301D extending rearwardlycontinuously from the intermediate part 301C and connected to the aircleaner 303. Note that the shape of the first air duct 301 is notlimited to the above shape.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the second air duct 302 is provided with asecond intake opening 302A (intake opening) having a laterallyelongated, substantially rectangular shape provided to the upstream endthereof. The second intake opening 302A opens toward a space between thetransmission 205 and a battery 501 (described later). Moreover, asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, the downstream side of the second air duct302 communicates with the air cleaner 303. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and5, the second air duct 302 has a pipe shape with a laterally elongated,substantially rectangular shape in the cross section as a whole, andextends substantially horizontally toward the space between thetransmission 205 and the battery 501 from a lower part of the aircleaner 303. Although the shapes of the second intake opening 302A andthe second air duct 302 are not limited to the above shapes inparticular, if the second intake opening 302A is laterally elongated, itcan take in air between the transmission 205 and the battery 501 broadlyin the left-and-right direction.

In this embodiment, the minimum passage cross-sectional area of thefirst air duct 301 is larger than the minimum passage cross-sectionalarea of the second air duct 302. That is, the intake resistance of thefirst air duct 301 is smaller than the intake resistance of the secondair duct. In this case, if both the first air duct 301 and the secondair duct 302 are fully opened, the air is taken in into the air cleaner303 through the first air duct 301 with the smaller intake resistance.

Insulation Cover

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the upper part of the powertrain unit200 is covered with an insulation cover 21. That is, the insulationcover 21 covers the cylinder head 203 from above and surrounds thecircumference of the upper part of the cylinder head 203.

Concretely, the insulation cover 21 includes an upper surface coveringpart 22 which covers the engine 201 from above, and a rear surfacecovering part 23 which continues from the upper surface covering part 22and covers an upper part of the engine 201 from the rear. Moreover, theinsulation cover 21 also includes a left surface covering part 24(adiabatic wall) which continues from the upper surface covering part 22and covers the upper part of the engine 201 from the left, and a rightsurface covering part 25 which continues from the upper surface coveringpart 22 and covers the upper part of the engine 201 from the right. Therear surface covering part 23 is provided with a bracket 23A whichprotrudes rearwardly. The insulation cover 21 is fixed to a cowl panelor a windshield panel of the vehicle 1 with the bracket 23A.

As illustrated by an arrow C1 in FIG. 1, “traveling wind” (air) entersthe engine bay 100 through a front grille 9 at the front end of thevehicle 1 while traveling. If the cylinder head 203 of the engine 201 isexposed to extremely-cold traveling wind, or a large amount ofextremely-cold air is led to the combustion chambers during leancombustion, the temperature of the combustion chambers drops largely,and therefore, the combustion stability of the engine 201 is impaired.The insulation cover 21 is to store the heat radiated from the engine201 therein by using air as a medium. Thus, the insulation cover 21interrupts the heat dissipation from the upper part of the engine 201 toabove and to the side. This suppresses the extreme temperature loweringof the upper part of the engine 201 (i.e., the combustion chambers) tosecure the sufficient combustion stability of the engine.

Note that as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the left surface coveringpart 24 is disposed between a left surface of the upper part of thecylinder head 203 and the battery 501. In detail, the left surfacecovering part 24 includes an upper wall part 24A which continues from aleft edge of the upper surface covering part 22, and a lower wall part24B connected to the upper wall part 24A through a sealant (notillustrated). A part of the upper wall part 24A and a part of the lowerwall part 24B are disposed between the left surface of the upper part ofthe cylinder head 203 and the battery 501.

Note that notches 24C and 24D having a semicircular shape which faceeach other from above and below are formed in a lower edge of the upperwall part 24A and an upper edge of the lower wall part 24B of the leftsurface covering part 24. These notches 24C and 24D form a hole throughwhich a flexible pipe (not illustrated) which extends toward the engine201 from the air cleaner 303 and connects the air cleaner 303 with theintake pipe 304.

Various Sensors Vehicle Speed Sensor

The vehicle 1 is provided with a vehicle speed sensor 801 which detectsa speed of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. 6). Although it is not intended tolimit, the vehicle speed sensor 801 is connected to an output shaft ofthe transmission 205, for example.

Water Temperature Sensor and Oil Temperature Sensor

A water temperature sensor 803 which detects water temperature of theengine 201 is provided, for example, on a coolant passage of the engine201 (in detail, near an outlet of the coolant passage of the cylinderhead 203) (see FIG. 6). Moreover, an oil temperature sensor 805 whichdetects oil temperature is provided, for example, on an oil passage ofthe engine 201 (in detail, near an entrance of a main gallery of thecylinder block 202) (see FIG. 6). Note that the mounting positions ofthe water temperature sensor 803 and the oil temperature sensor 805 arenot limited to the mounting positions described above, as long as theyare on the coolant passage and the oil passage, respectively.

Battery and Battery Temperature Adjusting Device

The vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes the battery 501 anda battery temperature adjusting device 900 which adjusts thetemperatures of the battery 501 and its periphery.

Battery

The battery 501 is mounted inside the engine bay 100 mainly for thepurposes of supplying power to a starter motor when starting the engine,and supplying power to lighting inside a cabin and audiovisualapparatuses when they are used while the engine is stopped.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the battery 501 is disposed near thepowertrain unit 200 inside the engine bay 100 (i.e., within a rangewhere the heat from the powertrain unit 200 may reach). In detail, thebattery 501 is disposed above the transmission 205 and at left side ofthe cylinder head 203, through the left surface covering part 24.

The battery 501 is a lithium ion battery. The lithium ion battery is,for example, a lithium ion battery (e.g., cobalt, manganese, olivine,ternary, and titanic acid), or a lithium polymer battery. The lithiumion battery demonstrates the best charge-and-discharge characteristicswithin a temperature range of about 25° C. to 40° C. In other words, ifthe temperature of the battery 501 deviates from this temperature range,sufficient charge-and-discharge characteristics cannot be obtained, andthis may become a cause of early deterioration. Therefore, it isimportant in extending the life of the battery 501 to maintain thetemperature of the battery 501 and the temperature of its peripherywithin the temperature range.

Battery Temperature Adjusting Device

FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of the battery temperature adjustingdevice 900 according to this embodiment. Note that in FIG. 6, in orderto facilitate understandings, illustration of components, such as aflexible pipe which connects the air cleaner 303 with the intake pipe304, is omitted.

The battery temperature adjusting device 900 includes the first air duct301, the second air duct 302, an intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305(intake-air-amount adjusting part), the water-cooled intercooler 700,and a controller 800.

Intake-Air-Amount Adjusting Valve

The intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 is provided on the first airduct 301 side (e.g., at a connecting part of the downstream end of thefirst air duct 301 with the air cleaner 303). The intake-air-amountadjusting valve 305 is a valve which adjusts an amount of intake airtaken into the air cleaner 303 from the first air duct 301 (i.e., afirst intake air amount). Although it is not intended to limit, theintake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 may be a flow control valve (e.g.,a rotary valve, such as a butterfly valve and a flap valve).

Here, as described above, the first air duct 301 is smaller in theintake drag or resistance than the second air duct 302. Therefore, whenthe intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 is fully opened to maximizethe first intake air amount, an amount of intake air introduced from thesecond air duct 302 (i.e., a second intake air amount) can besuppressed. On the other hand, when the opening of the intake-air-amountadjusting valve 305 is adjusted to reduce the first intake air amount,the second intake air amount can be increased. Thus, only by adjustingthe opening of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 provided on thefirst air duct 301 side to adjust the first intake air amount, theentire volume of intake air introduced into the air cleaner 303 (i.e., aratio of the first intake air amount and a ratio of the second intakeair amount relative to the total intake air amount) can be adjusted.Therefore, the configuration of the device can be simplified.

Note that the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 may be provided onthe second air duct 302 side (e.g., at a connecting part of thedownstream end of the second air duct 302 with the air cleaner 303). Inthis case, by adjusting the second intake air amount by using theintake-air-amount adjusting valve 305, the ratio of the first intake airamount and the ratio of the second intake air amount relative to thetotal amount of intake air introduced into the air cleaner 303 can alsobe adjusted.

Water-Cooled Intercooler

The water-cooled intercooler 700 is disposed in the intake passage,downstream of the supercharger and upstream of the surge tank asdescribed above, and cools the entire intake air which passed throughthe supercharger.

The water-cooled intercooler 700 includes a coolant passage 703, anelectric water pump 701, and a low-temperature radiator 702. By theactuation of the electric water pump 701, the coolant flows through thecoolant passage 703. The coolant is cooled by the low-temperatureradiator 702 to a temperature below the engine coolant temperature.Thus, the intake air inside the intake passage is cooled.

Since the water-cooled intercooler 700 is the intake air cooling devicealready built inside the intake passage, it can cool the intake airefficiently, without increasing the number of components inside theengine bay 100.

Controller

The controller 800 is a control device based on a well-knownmicrocomputer. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the controller 800 is providedwith a signal input part 800A which is connected to the various sensors,such as the vehicle speed sensor 801, the water temperature sensor 803,the oil temperature sensor 805, and an accelerator opening sensor (notillustrated), and accepts inputs of the detection signals from thevarious sensors. Moreover, the controller 800 is provided with aprocessor 800B (an ambient temperature acquiring module, a determiningmodule, a calculating module) which performs calculation processingsaccording to the control. Moreover, the controller 800 is provided witha signal output part 800C (controlling module) which is connected tocontrolled targets, such as the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305,the throttle valve 306, and the electric water pump 701, and outputscontrol signals to the controlled targets. Moreover, the controller 800is provided with a memory 800D which stores a program and data necessaryfor the control. Note that the controller 800 may be electricallyconnected or may be wirelessly connected to the various sensors and thecontrolled targets.

In detail, the controller 800 outputs the control signal to a drivemotor of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305, and controlsactuation (i.e., the opening) of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve305. Thus, the controller 800 controls a flow rate of intake air passingthrough the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 to control the ratioof the first intake air amount and the ratio of the second intake airamount relative to the total intake air amount.

Moreover, the controller 800 outputs the control signal to a drive motorof the throttle valve 306 based on a detection signal from theaccelerator opening sensor to control actuation (i.e., the opening) ofthe throttle valve 306. Thus, the controller 800 controls a flow rate ofintake air passing through the intake pipe 304 (i.e., the total intakeair amount which is the sum of the first intake air amount and thesecond intake air amount).

Moreover, the controller 800 also outputs the control signal to a drivemotor of the electric water pump 701 to control actuation of theelectric water pump 701 (i.e., a discharge pressure of the coolant).Thus, a degree of cooling the intake air downstream of the throttlevalve 306 is controlled.

Method of Adjusting Battery Temperature

One example of the method of adjusting a battery temperature using thebattery temperature adjusting device 900 according to this embodiment isdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

The method of adjusting the battery temperature includes an ambienttemperature acquiring step S1, a temperature determining step S2, asecond intake-air-amount ratio calculating step S3, a target water flowamount calculating step S4, an electric water pump controlling step S5,and an intake-air-amount controlling step S6.

Ambient Temperature Acquiring Step

The memory 800D of the controller 800 stores in advance a correlationbetween the vehicle speed (traveling speed of the vehicle) and the watertemperature and/or the oil temperature, and the ambient temperature ofthe powertrain unit 200 (especially, the ambient temperature of thelower part of the powertrain unit 200), as a map.

At the ambient temperature acquiring step S1, the controller 800acquires, by the signal input part 800A, the current vehicle speeddetected by the vehicle speed sensor 801, and the current watertemperature and/or the current oil temperature which are detected by thewater temperature sensor 803 and/or the oil temperature sensor 805,respectively. Then, the processor 800B estimates the ambient temperatureof the powertrain unit 200 (especially, the ambient temperature of thelower part of the powertrain unit 200) based on the vehicle speed andthe water temperature and/or the oil temperature, and the map. In thisway, the controller 800 acquires the ambient temperature as an estimatedvalue.

Note that the map is desirable to be configured so that the ambienttemperature becomes higher as the vehicle speed decreases. When thevehicle speed is fast to some extent, a part of heat from the powertrainunit 200 may be removed before reaching the battery 501 by the travelingwind which entered into the engine bay 100 through the front grille 9,as illustrated by the arrow C1 in FIG. 1. However, when the vehiclespeed is slow, the effect of the traveling wind may be lowered. In sucha case, it is necessary to more positively remove the heat from thelower part of the powertrain unit 200 by increasing the second intakeair amount. Therefore, by configuring the map so that the ambienttemperature becomes higher as the vehicle speed decreases, the ratio ofthe second intake air amount at the second intake-air-amount ratiocalculating step S3 (described later) can be increased, and therefore,the temperatures of the battery 501 and its periphery can be maintainedwithin the suitable range.

Temperature Determining Step

At the temperature determining step S2, the processor 800B of thecontroller 800 determines whether the ambient temperature estimated atthe ambient temperature acquiring step S1 exceeds a first thresholdtemperature.

The first threshold temperature is preferably 20° C. or higher and 50°C. or lower, from the viewpoint of maintaining the temperatures of thebattery 501 and its periphery from about 25° C. to about 40° C.

Second Intake-Air-Amount Ratio Calculating Step

The memory 800D of the controller 800 stores a correlation between theambient temperature and the ratios of the first intake air amount andthe second intake air amount, which are obtained tentatively in advance,as a map. Note that this map is configured so that the ratio of thesecond intake air amount becomes a given value when the ambienttemperature is below the first threshold temperature. Moreover, this mapis configured so that the ratio of the second intake air amountincreases as compared with a case where the ambient temperature is belowthe first threshold temperature, when the ambient temperature exceedsthe first threshold temperature. In other words, the map is configuredso that the ratio of the second intake air amount increases from thegiven value, when the ambient temperature exceeds the first thresholdtemperature.

At the second intake-air-amount ratio calculating step S3, the processor800B calculates an increasing rate of the ratio of the second intake airamount based on the estimated ambient temperature and the map.

Concretely, if the ambient temperature is determined to be below thefirst threshold temperature, the ratio of the second intake air amountis set as the given value (Step S31). If the ambient temperature isbelow the first threshold temperature, since the exhaust heat from thelower part of the powertrain unit 200 is small, it is desirable tominimize the intake air from the second air duct 302. That is, the givenvalue is desirably be 10% or less (more preferably, 0%). Note that thegiven value may be or may not be a constant value. In detail, the givenvalue may be a variable value which periodically changes between 0% and10%.

On the other hand, if the ambient temperature is determined to exceedthe first threshold temperature, the increasing rate of the ratio of thesecond intake air amount is calculated so that the ratio of the secondintake air amount increases from the given value (Step S32). In detail,for example, if the given value in case where the ambient temperature isbelow the first threshold temperature is set as 10%, and when theambient temperature is determined to exceed the first thresholdtemperature, the ratio of the second intake air amount may be calculatedas a value larger than 10% (e.g., 20%) (here, the increasing rate is10%).

Note that the map is configured so that the increasing rate of the ratioof the second intake air amount becomes larger as the estimated ambienttemperature increases. In detail, it is assumed that, for example, thegiven value of the ratio of the second intake air amount in case wherethe first threshold temperature is 50° C. and the ambient temperature isbelow the first threshold temperature (50° C.) is set as 10%. Here, forexample, if the ambient temperature is 60° C., the ratio of the secondintake air amount may be calculated as 20% (the increasing rate is 10%),and if the ambient temperature is 70° C., the ratio of the second intakeair amount may be calculated as 30% (the increasing rate is 20%).Further, especially, since the ambient temperature is estimated to behigher as the vehicle speed decreases, the increasing rate of the ratioof the second intake air amount increases as the vehicle speeddecreases, even if the water temperature and/or the oil temperaturestays the same.

Target Water Flow Amount Calculating Step

When the air which became hot by the exhaust heat from the powertrainunit 200 is led to the combustion chamber as it is as the intake air,there is a possibility that problems, such as an occurrence of knock anda drop in the charging efficiency may take place. Therefore, thewater-cooled intercooler 700 cools the intake air to suppress theoccurrence of knock and the drop in the charging efficiency.

The memory 800D of the controller 800 stores, for example, a relationbetween the temperature of the intake air introduced into thewater-cooled intercooler 700 and the target water flow amount requiredfor cooling the intake air (i.e., a discharging amount of the coolant bythe electric water pump 701), as a map.

At the target water flow amount calculating step S4, the processor 800Bof the controller 800 first calculates the temperature of the intakeair. The temperature of the intake air is calculated based on thetemperature of the intake air from the first air duct 301, the ratio ofthe first intake air amount, the ambient temperature, and the ratio ofthe second intake air amount calculated at the second intake-air-amountratio calculating step S3. Then, the processor 800B calculates thetarget water flow amount based on the calculated temperature of theintake air, and the map.

Note that, the map is set so that the target water flow amount increasesas the ratio of the second intake air amount increases. Therefore, thedegree of cooling the intake air by the water-cooled intercooler 700 canbe increased as the temperature of the intake air increases toeffectively suppress the occurrence of knock and the drop in thecharging efficiency.

Electric Water Pump Controlling Step

The control signal is outputted from the signal output part 800C of thecontroller 800 to the electric water pump 701 so that the water flowamount of the water-cooled intercooler 700 becomes the target water flowamount calculated at the target water flow amount calculating step S4.Thus, the discharging amount of the coolant by the electric water pump701 is adjusted.

Intake-Air-Amount Controlling Step

The control signal is outputted from the signal output part 800C of thecontroller 800 to the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 so as toobtain the second intake air amount calculated at the secondintake-air-amount ratio calculating step S3. Thus, the opening of theintake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 is adjusted, and thereby adjustingthe ratio of the first intake air amount and the second intake airamount.

EXAMPLES

FIG. 8 illustrates one of concrete examples of the method of adjustingthe battery temperature.

At time t0, after the engine 201 is started, the vehicle speed increasesgradually and soon becomes a substantially constant vehicle speed. Thewater temperature of the cylinder head 203 rises gradually from time t0,and even after the vehicle speed becomes constant, it continues risingfor a while. Then, the water temperature continues rising for a whileafter exceeded the first threshold temperature.

The estimated value of the ambient temperature of the lower part of thepowertrain unit 200 rises, slightly after the rise of the watertemperature. Then, at time t1, the ambient temperature reaches the firstthreshold temperature.

Since the ambient temperature is below the first threshold temperatureduring Time t0-t1, the ratio of the second intake air amount is set to0% (i.e., the ratio of the first intake air amount is set to 100%).Moreover, the target water flow amount is set to 0%. Then, while thewater-cooled intercooler 700 is controlled at 0% of the amount of waterflow, the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 is controlled so thatthe ratio of the first intake air amount becomes 100% (fully opened).

Next, when the ambient temperature begins to exceed the first thresholdtemperature after Time t1, the ratio of the second intake air amount isset to 20% and the ratio of the first intake air amount is set to 80%,according to the ambient temperature. Moreover, the target water flowamount is set to 20%. The water-cooled intercooler 700 is operated at20% of the water flow amount, and at the same time or slightly later,the opening of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 is adjusted sothat the ratio of the second intake air amount becomes 20%.

After time t2, the water temperature of the cylinder head 203 rises in astate where the vehicle speed hardly changes (for example, traveling anuphill). Accordingly, the estimated value of the ambient temperaturealso rises. According to the rise of the estimated value of the ambienttemperature, the ratio of the second intake air amount is set to 40% andthe ratio of the first intake air amount is set to 60%. Moreover, thetarget water flow amount is set to 40%. Then, the water-cooledintercooler 700 is operated at 40% of the amount of water flow, and atthe same time or slightly later, the opening of the intake-air-amountadjusting valve 305 is adjusted so that the ratio of the second intakeair amount becomes 40%.

After time t3, the traveling of the uphill is ended, the vehicle speedis in a substantially fixed state, and the water temperature returns toa similar water temperature to the that during time t1 to t2. Theestimated value of the ambient temperature also returns to a similarvalue to that during time t1 to t2. Thus, the operation of thewater-cooled intercooler 700 and the intake-air-amount adjusting valve305 is controlled under a similar condition to that during time t1 tot2.

After time t4, the vehicle speed becomes slower while the watertemperature of the cylinder head 203 does not change. At this time, theestimated value of the ambient temperature rises according to thelowering of the vehicle speed. According to the rising of the estimatedvalue of the ambient temperature, the operation of the water-cooledintercooler 700 and the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 iscontrolled under a similar condition to that during Time t2 to t3.

Then, at time t5, the engine 201 is stopped, and the control of theoperation of the water-cooled intercooler 700 and the intake-air-amountadjusting valve 305 is ended.

Operation and Effects

In the battery temperature adjusting device 900 and the method ofadjusting the battery temperature according to this embodiment, air istaken in through the second air duct 302 provided with the second intakeopening 302A which opens toward the space between the transmission 205and the battery 501. Thus, as illustrated by an arrow D1 in FIG. 1, theheat from the powertrain unit 200 (especially, the lower part thereof)is taken in into the intake passage. Thus, since the heat is removedbefore it reaches the periphery of battery 501 disposed near thepowertrain unit 200, the temperatures of the battery 501 and itsperiphery can be suppressed from becoming high. Then, since thetemperatures of the battery 501 and its periphery can be maintained atthe temperature suitable for the excellent charge-and-dischargecharacteristics of the battery 501, a longer battery life of the vehicle1 can be secured. Moreover, since the intake system of the engine 201 isused as the device for removing the heat, it is not necessary toadditionally provide a dedicated pump, etc. inside the engine bay 100,and it can contribute to the downsizing of the engine bay 100 (as aresult, the vehicle 1).

Embodiment 2

Below, other embodiments according to the present disclosure aredescribed in detail. Note that in description of these embodiments, thesame reference characters are assigned to the same components asEmbodiment 1 to omit detailed description thereof.

Although in Embodiment 1 the water-cooled intercooler 700 built in theintake passage is utilized as the intake air cooling device, it is notlimited to this configuration. The intake air cooling device of thepresent disclosure may be, for example, a cooling device provided to thesecond air duct 302 itself, or a cooling device other than thewater-cooled intercooler 700, which is disposed in the intake passagedownstream of the second air duct 302.

FIG. 9 illustrates a battery temperature adjusting device 900 accordingto Embodiment 2 as one example, where another intake air cooling deviceis provided. In the intake air cooling device in this example, arefrigerant circuit for an air conditioning system mounted on thevehicle 1 is branched and a part of refrigerant is used for the coolingof intake air inside the intake passage.

Concretely, the air conditioning system of the vehicle 1 includes arefrigerant circuit 712, and a compressor 711, a condenser 713, anexpansion valve 714 for cooling, and an evaporator 710 for cooling,which are disposed in the refrigerant circuit 712. As illustrated byarrows in FIG. 9, the refrigerant inside the refrigerant circuit 712 isused for cooling of air inside the cabin, it is then compressed by thecompressor 711 and is sent to the condenser 713 where it is cooled.Then, the refrigerant is decompressed in the expansion valve 714 forcooling, and inside the evaporator 710 for cooling, it absorbs heat fromair inside the cabin and evaporates to cool the air inside the cabin.

The intake air cooling device of this example includes a refrigerantcircuit 721 for intake-air cooling, and an expansion valve 722 forintake-air cooling and an evaporator 720 for intake-air cooling, whichare disposed in the refrigerant circuit 721.

The refrigerant circuit 721 is a circuit which is branched from therefrigerant circuit 712 at a junction 712A, and again joins therefrigerant circuit 712 at a junction 712B. A portion of the refrigerantcooled by the condenser 713 flows into the refrigerant circuit 721 atthe junction 712A, and it is decompressed by the expansion valve 722.Then, in the evaporator 720, it absorbs heat from the intake air insidethe intake passage and evaporates to cool the intake air.

The expansion valve 722 and the evaporator 720 may be similar to orcommon to the expansion valve 714 and the evaporator 710.

The expansion valve 714 and the expansion valve 722 are connected to thecontroller 800, the control signals are outputted from the signal outputpart 800C of the controller 800 to drive motors of both the expansionvalves to control the operations of the valves (i.e., openings).

By controlling the opening of the expansion valve 722, the degree ofcooling of the intake air in the evaporator 720 can be adjusted. If theexpansion valve 722 is fully closed, since the inflow of the refrigerantto the refrigerant circuit 721 can be suspended, the refrigerant is onlyused for the air conditioning system. On the other hand, if theexpansion valve 722 is fully opened, since the inflow of the refrigerantto the refrigerant circuit 721 becomes the maximum amount, the degree ofcooling of the intake air in the evaporator 720 also becomes the maximumdegree.

In this example, in order to achieve the target cooling degree, anamount of refrigerant which flows into the refrigerant circuit 721 iscalculated at Step S4 in Embodiment 1, and the opening of the expansionvalve 722 is controlled at Step S5.

According to this example, since the air conditioning system alreadymounted on the vehicle 1 can be used as the intake air cooling device, asignificant increase in the number of components inside the engine bay100 can be suppressed, and the intake air can be cooled efficiently,similar to the water-cooled intercooler 700 in Embodiment 1.

Embodiment 3

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a batterytemperature adjusting device 900 according to Embodiment 3.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, only a configuration of anintake-air-amount adjusting part differs from the configuration ofEmbodiment 1. In this example, the intake-air-amount adjusting partincludes a first valve 305 provided to the first air duct 301 side, anda second valve 307 provided to the second air duct 302 side.

The first valve 305 has the same configuration as the intake-air-amountadjusting valve 305 of Embodiment 1, and can adjust the first intake airamount by controlling the opening. Moreover, the second valve 307 canadjust the second intake air amount by controlling the opening. Althoughit is not intended to limit, a common flow control valve may be used asthe second valve 307, and for example, a similar valve to theintake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 of Embodiment 1 can be used. Thefirst valve 305 and the second valve 307 may be the same type of valve,or may be different type of valve.

In this example, the second valve 307 is also connected to thecontroller 800, in addition to the first valve 305. The signal outputpart 800C also outputs a control signal to the drive motor of the secondvalve 307 to control operation of the second valve 307 (i.e., theopening). Thus, the first intake air amount and the second intake airamount can be adjusted independently by the first valve 305 and thesecond valve 307, and therefore, the ratios of the first intake airamount and the second intake air amount relative to the total intake airamount can be controlled more accurately.

Note that in this example, there is no limitation in the minimum passagecross-sectional areas of the first air duct 301 and the second air duct302. Concretely, the first air duct 301 and the second air duct 302 mayhave the same minimum passage cross-sectional area, or the minimumpassage cross-sectional area of the first air duct 301 may be smallerthan that of the second air duct 302. In this example, since the firstintake air amount and the second intake air amount can be adjusted bythe first valve 305 and the second valve 307, respectively, it is notnecessary to adjust the intake resistances of the first air duct 301 andthe second air duct 302 in advance.

Embodiment 4

FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a batterytemperature adjusting device 900 according to Embodiment 4.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 11, the battery temperature adjustingdevice 900 is provided with a temperature sensor 807 (ambienttemperature sensor) which detects the ambient temperature of thepowertrain unit 200, instead of the vehicle speed sensor 801 and thewater temperature sensor 803 and/or the oil temperature sensor 805 inEmbodiment 1. The temperature sensor 807 is desirably disposed at thepowertrain unit 200 (especially, around the lower part), and isespecially desirable to be disposed between the transmission 205 and thebattery 501.

The temperature sensor 807 is connected to the controller 800, and theambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor 807 is inputtedinto the signal input part 800A (ambient temperature acquiring module)as the detection signal.

In Embodiment 1, the controller 800 estimates the ambient temperaturebased on the vehicle speed and the water temperature and/or the oiltemperature. However, in Embodiment 4, the controller 800 controls theopening of the intake-air-amount adjusting valve 305 based on thedetection value of the ambient temperature directly detected by thetemperature sensor 807.

According to this configuration, since the ambient temperature directlydetected by the temperature sensor 807 is used, the ratios of the firstintake air amount and the second intake air amount relative to the totalintake air amount can be adjusted more accurately.

Other Embodiments

Although in Embodiment 1 the ambient temperature is estimated based onthe vehicle speed and the water temperature and/or the oil temperature,since the controller 800 is also connected to the accelerator openingsensor of the vehicle 1, the ambient temperature may be estimated basedon the detection value of the accelerator opening sensor and the targettorque of the engine 201.

Although in the above embodiments, the engine 201 is the multi-cylinderengine, it is not limited in particular.

Although in the above embodiments the intake air cooling device isprovided, it is not necessary to be provided with the intake air coolingdevice. Moreover, although, in the above embodiments the engine 201 isthe front-intake and rear-exhaust engine, it is not limited to thisconfiguration.

Although in the above embodiments the detection value of the vehiclespeed sensor 801 is used as the vehicle speed, the vehicle speed may beestimated based on the engine speed and the gear stage.

Since the present disclosure can provide the battery temperatureadjusting device for the vehicle, the vehicle provided with the batterytemperature adjusting device, and the method of adjusting the batterytemperature of the vehicle, which can maintain the temperature of thebattery mounted inside the engine bay and its periphery within thesuitable temperature range, it is very useful.

It should be understood that the embodiments herein are illustrative andnot restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by theappended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and allchanges that fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalenceof such metes and bounds thereof, are therefore intended to be embracedby the claims. Further, if used herein, the phrase “and/or” means eitheror both of two stated possibilities.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

1 Vehicle

24 Left Surface Covering Part (Adiabatic Wall)

100 Engine Bay

200 Powertrain Unit

201 Engine

202 Cylinder Block

203 Cylinder Head

204 Oil Pan

205 Transmission

301 First Air Duct (Intake Passage)

301A First Intake Opening (Additional Intake Opening)

302 Second Air Duct (Intake Passage)

302A Second Intake Opening (Intake Opening)

303 Air Cleaner (Intake Passage)

304 Intake Pipe (Intake Passage)

305 Intake-air-amount Adjusting Valve, First Valve (Intake-air-amountAdjusting Part)

306 Throttle Valve (Intake Passage)

307 Second Valve (Intake-air-amount Adjusting Part)

501 Battery

700 Water-Cooled Intercooler (Intake Air Cooling Device)

711 Compressor (Intake Air Cooling Device)

713 Condenser (Intake Air Cooling Device)

721 Intake-air Cooling Refrigerant Circuit (Intake Air Cooling Device)

722 Intake-air Cooling Expansion Valve (Intake Air Cooling Device)

720 Intake-air Cooling Evaporator (Intake Air Cooling Device)

800 Controller

800A Signal Input Part (Ambient Temperature Acquiring Module)

800B Processor (Ambient Temperature Acquiring Module, DeterminingModule, Calculating Module)

800C Signal Output Part (Controlling Module)

800D Memory

801 Vehicle Speed Sensor

803 Water Temperature Sensor

805 Oil Temperature Sensor

807 Temperature Sensor (Ambient Temperature Sensor)

900 Battery Temperature Adjusting Device

S1 Ambient Temperature Acquiring Step

S2 Temperature Determining Step

S3 Second Intake-air-amount Ratio Calculating Step

S4 Target Water Flow Amount Calculating Step

S5 Electric Water Pump Controlling Step

S6 Intake-air-amount Controlling Step

What is claimed is:
 1. A battery temperature adjusting device for avehicle on which a battery is mounted, the battery being a lithium ionbattery disposed near a powertrain unit inside an engine bay,comprising: a first air duct provided to an intake passage configured tolead intake air to a combustion chamber of an engine; a second air ductprovided to the intake passage and provided with an intake opening thatopens toward a space between the powertrain unit and the battery; anintake-air-amount adjusting part configured to adjust a first intake airamount introduced from the first air duct and a second intake air amountintroduced from the second air duct; and a controller configured toacquire an ambient temperature of the powertrain unit and controloperation of the intake-air-amount adjusting part based on the ambienttemperature, wherein the controller increases a ratio of the secondintake air amount relative to the sum of the first intake air amount andthe second intake air amount, when the controller determines that theambient temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature, compared withwhen the controller determines that the ambient temperature is below thefirst threshold temperature.
 2. The battery temperature adjusting deviceof claim 1, wherein the battery is disposed by the side of an upper partof the powertrain unit, and wherein the ambient temperature is anambient temperature of a lower part of the powertrain unit.
 3. Thebattery temperature adjusting device of claim 2, wherein the battery isdisposed above a transmission of the powertrain unit, and wherein theintake opening opens toward a space between the transmission and thebattery.
 4. The battery temperature adjusting device of claim 3, furthercomprising: a vehicle speed sensor connected to the controller andconfigured to detect a traveling speed of the vehicle; and a temperaturesensor connected to the controller and configured to detect a watertemperature and/or an oil temperature of the engine, wherein thecontroller estimates the ambient temperature based on the travelingspeed and the water temperature and/or the oil temperature.
 5. Thebattery temperature adjusting device of claim 3, further comprising anambient temperature sensor connected to the controller and configured todetect the ambient temperature, wherein the controller controlsoperation of the intake-air-amount adjusting part based on the ambienttemperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor.
 6. The batterytemperature adjusting device of claim 5, wherein the controllerincreases an increasing rate of the ratio of the second intake airamount as the ambient temperature increases, when increasing the ratioof the second intake air amount.
 7. The battery temperature adjustingdevice of claim 6, wherein the controller increases the increasing rateof the ratio of the second intake air amount as the traveling speeddecreases, when increasing the ratio of the second intake air amount. 8.The battery temperature adjusting device of claim 7, further comprisingan intake air cooling device disposed downstream of the second air ductin the intake passage and configured to cool intake air inside theintake passage, wherein the controller increases a degree of cooling ofthe intake air by the intake air cooling device, when increasing theratio of the second intake air amount.
 9. The battery temperatureadjusting device of claim 8, wherein the intake air cooling device is awater-cooled intercooler built in the intake passage.
 10. The batterytemperature adjusting device of claim 8, wherein the intake air coolingdevice is a part of a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning systemmounted on the vehicle.
 11. The battery temperature adjusting device ofclaim 1, wherein a minimum passage cross-sectional area of the first airduct is larger than a minimum passage cross-sectional area of the secondair duct, and wherein the intake-air-amount adjusting part is anintake-air-amount adjusting valve provided to the first air duct side.12. The battery temperature adjusting device of claim 1, wherein theintake-air-amount adjusting part includes: a first valve provided to thefirst air duct side and configured to adjust the first intake airamount; and a second valve provided to the second air duct side andconfigured to adjust the second intake air amount.
 13. A vehicleprovided with the battery temperature adjusting device of claim
 1. 14. Amethod of adjusting a battery temperature of a vehicle on which abattery is mounted, the battery being a lithium ion battery disposednear a powertrain unit in an engine bay, the vehicle including: a firstair duct provided to an intake passage configured to lead intake air toa combustion chamber of an engine; a second air duct provided to theintake passage and provided with an intake opening that opens toward aspace between the powertrain unit and the battery; and anintake-air-amount adjusting part configured to adjust a first intake airamount introduced from the first air duct and a second intake air amountintroduced from the second air duct, and the method comprising:acquiring an ambient temperature of the powertrain unit by one of anestimation and a detection; determining whether the ambient temperatureexceeds a first threshold temperature; and increasing a ratio of thesecond intake air amount relative to the sum of the first intake airamount and the second intake air amount, when the ambient temperature isdetermined to exceed the first threshold temperature, compared with whenthe ambient temperature is determined to be below the first thresholdtemperature, by controlling operation of the intake-air-amount adjustingpart.
 15. The battery temperature adjusting device of claim 1, furthercomprising: a vehicle speed sensor connected to the controller andconfigured to detect a traveling speed of the vehicle; and a temperaturesensor connected to the controller and configured to detect a watertemperature and/or an oil temperature of the engine, wherein thecontroller estimates the ambient temperature based on the travelingspeed and the water temperature and/or the oil temperature.
 16. Thebattery temperature adjusting device of claim 1, further comprising anambient temperature sensor connected to the controller and configured todetect the ambient temperature, wherein the controller controlsoperation of the intake-air-amount adjusting part based on the ambienttemperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor.
 17. The batterytemperature adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the controllerincreases an increasing rate of the ratio of the second intake airamount as the ambient temperature increases, when increasing the ratioof the second intake air amount.
 18. The battery temperature adjustingdevice of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed sensor connectedto the controller and configured to detect the traveling speed, whereinthe controller increases an increasing rate of the ratio of the secondintake air amount as the traveling speed decreases, when increasing theratio of the second intake air amount.
 19. The battery temperatureadjusting device of claim 1, further comprising an intake air coolingdevice disposed downstream of the second air duct in the intake passageand configured to cool intake air inside the intake passage, wherein thecontroller increases a degree of cooling of the intake air by the intakeair cooling device, when increasing the ratio of the second intake airamount.